Hogwarts: Year One
by shadowno
Summary: Nothing sucks quite so much as a famous father's shadow. Little Albus is about to face the joys of our most beloved academy of witchcraft and wizardry. Luckily he's got some new friends help him along when things inevitably go to hell. Co-written with my good friend The Phantom Dragon.
1. Express to Hogwarts

Chapter 1

Albus felt the train lurch under him as it began its journey; his heart beating a mile a minute alongside it, the rush of looking forward to his first year at Hogwarts. Maybe not complete excitement, however, as his mind remembered James's words.

He was the son of Harry Potter, the boy who lived that finally put an end to Lord Voldemort, the greatest evil wizard of all time. James had warned his younger brother that he would most likely catch crap for being his father's son, at least until he made a name for himself in his own right. It wouldn't be all bad, it was just that there were still a lot of pure blood wizarding families that still believed they were superior to half blooded ones, despite the Ministry's new focus on eradicating the prejudice against half blooded and muggle born wizards. The family of the man who brought all that crashing around their ears would be especially singled out in spite of blood lines.

Speaking of family, where had his gone? James had told him it was traditional for first years to sit together, a bonding session for potential friends and classmates if you would. Like hell. One cousin with her mother's inelegance levels, make that prissy level, and her two sidekicks whose mommy was daddy's girlfriend for a year? Awkward. Plus they were girls, that was _so not_ doing anything for his social status.

Coming to a decision he raced down the cars after his brother's retreating back. James could bitch all he wanted about the little brother tag along, Uncle George had told him about some incriminating evidence should he ever be in need of a little leverage. Besides, the worst that could happen was his brother's friends were reading off the same hormonal page and he got the newbie jokes treatment. His babysitter was the wizarding world's most popular prank master, what could they possibly put out he hadn't already seen? He managed to catch up to James who was searching compartments for his friends.

"No, you may not sit with me." James responded to his brother's appearance. Albus scowled, how is it his brother could so intimately tell what he was thinking at times like these and be a complete twit the other ninety-five-percent? "Run along and find yourself some nice new playmates to whine to."

"Everywhere else is full."

"Then you'd better get busy on those friends to save you a seat for next year. If you manage to make it to the end of the ride without crying for mum that is." Albus was saved having to think up a passable witty remark as James appeared to find what he was looking for.

The compartment was near the end of the train and empty sans one figure slouched by the window with a book that had slipped from limp fingers to partial obscure the face. The sight seemed to have caused a new set of wheels to start creaking in James's demented mind because he promptly forgot about his limpet as a small smirk tugged the corners of his mouth. Albus silently sighed, knowing what 'that' smile meant.

Sure enough, James quietly slipped the handle and began tiptoeing across the small room; though why he found this necessary Albus would never know since the sound of the train wheels rattling on the tracks muffled pretty much anything shy of yelling 'BOO'. Albus rolled his eyes as James reached out a hand and waved it back and forth in front of the person. Would it kill his brother to act his age for five minutes? When no reaction was provoked, James turned to throw his little brother his signature 'watch and learn' grin… and promptly found himself on the floor.

"Potter, Potter, Potter," the book came away to reveal a very pretty girl wearing an expression of mixed mild annoyance and disappointment, "have you still yet to learn what passes as a good, or rather _bad_, idea when attempting to prank me?"

James chuckled and picked himself off the floor with a slight wince. "A man can hope can't he?"

"And who would this man be?" Albus choked on a snort and decided his chances here were as good as any.

"What the... No, no no no no NO!" James said, before his brother could enter the compartment. "Not gonna happen Al."

"Boyfriend trouble Jamie?" The girl asked, flicking one sarcastic eyebrow with a cruel undertone.

"Ha, very funny." James said, looking back at her. "He's my little brother."

"Well, don't be a jerk." She said, turning her attention to Albus. "Come on in sweetie."

James momentarily froze then shot a subtle and meaningful glare at his younger brother. "He should be sitting with other first years." He said, obviously just wanting to avoid having to deal with his brother now that they were on their way back to the school.

"Don't be so stringent my dear boy. People might start thinking you contagious the way you ward them off with such a vengeance."

"I d..." Albus began, wanting to spare his brother; the situation had caught him off balance. On the one hand he did not want to go against his brother so early in the year; on the other, something about the girl said it would be a very bad idea to refuse her offer.

"Must I repeat myself?" This time a frigid gaze met his to emphasize the words. "I said, Sit. Down."

"You heard her." James said with a tone of nervousness in his voice. "She usually throws a fit if she doesn't get her way.

"I? Throw a fit? Interesting choice of words coming from the boy who took two hours venting after failing a quiz he'd been reminded to study for the entire week. Repeatedly, I might add."

Albus wasn't sure if he wanted to smile or hide behind his brother. James was afraid of crossing her, that much was obvious, the question now being whether he should too. Seeing her slumped, apparently asleep, had been a complete misnomer.

She looked like she might be the same year as his brother but the air with which she carried herself belied the age. She looked like she might have been partially of Asian descent and was, now that he'd had a better look, very pretty, with fine bone structuring that ended in a stubborn chin. But most striking was the eyes. An odd mix of yellow-grey with hints of green, hooded in a frame of dark lashes beneath sharp, articulate brows, they held him like a hunter who knew its prey had no prayer of escape.

He wondered if maybe there might be any hope of politely refusing but she left him no choice in that matter, gestured to the bench she was on. Feeling his odds of seeing tomorrow fluttering out the window like feathers from a dying bird, Albus carefully lowered himself to the seat he'd been directed to.

She gave a small smile with none of the earlier frost. "Since the ape unfortunately known as your brother is determined to play the rude prick, I'm Akuji."

"I'm Albus Potter." Somehow the formalness of her tone prompted him to give his full name even though it would not take a genius to figure it out.

"Albus eh? What, may I ask, insensate prick gives a child a name that makes them sound like they belong in a rocking chair by the fire with a grandkid or several on their knee?

"I was named after a Headmasters of Hogwarts., two of them actually." Albus retorted defensively, he was proud of his name and it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to defend it.

Akuji said nothing more but gave him another long look with those feral eyes. "So this is your first year at school then?"

"Yeah, I'm actually kind of nervous about it."

"Don't be. Despite the international hoorah it so fondly emanates, compared to where I'm from it's a walk in the park."

James huffed at the scene and turned away, and promptly fell back almost on top of Albus with a sharp yelp. Reflexively shoving his brother off him, Albus immediately froze at what he saw.

His first impression was a large oval of long, pearl white needles set on a pink background. Fangs, his mind supplied when it caught up. The jaw closed and Albus instead found himself staring into dark jade eyes of a golden cat with…horns?

The spell was broken by a knock on the compartment door. Tearing his eyes away from the creature that had startled his brother, Albus saw another student standing in the doorway. Momentarily he forgot about the teeth and wondered if he wasn't screwed for the rest of the ride.

The boy looked to be the same age as James but stood a little taller. What Albus noticed first and foremost were his eyes, dark emeralds that seemed to shine, giving them an almost glowing quality.

Oh and he was definitely just as pretty if not prettier than Akuji.

You couldn't tell much about build since the guy was already dressed in the shapeless school robes, but his delicate Asian features and pale skin were a sight that made even loudmouthed James shut up and stare. At this angle the long, jet black hair could just be seen disappearing into a neat ponytail that went past his shoulders. How someone could look like that and still be very recognizably male was beyond poor little Albus.

"I apologize for intruding," despite the formality, Albus surprisingly felt himself relax at the low, polite tone, "but it would appear everywhere else is full. Would it be an imposition for me to join you?"

"Not at all." James happily seized the opportunity to change the populace in his favor. "Al, scoot up."

"I apologize, I was unaware we were now taking order from Lord Potter now." Akuji taunted. Albus almost flinched at the razor chill of her tone. Akuji either did not notice or did not care. Instead she pulled out a long, white wand which she pointed at the new arrival's trunk and Albus's that was still blocking the aisle.

Albus resisted the urge to gawp as the two trunks floated up to settle on the far end of the racks. According to his knowledge speechless spells were an advanced class. Even Aunt Hermione hadn't been able pull them off before her sixth year. That Akuji could do so with such ease spoke volumes.

The movement however, seemed to disturb the creature perched above their heads. It promptly renounced its presence by making a landing pad of James who still lay partially sprawled on the floor between the seats, landing squarely on his stomach.

Albus jerked then instinctively went still. The thing was bloody massive. The memory of all those teeth playing bright and fresh in his mind.

"Than, that's enough." Akuji said. The cat seemed to give James a dismissive flick of its eyes then leapt gracefully over to its master who smirked. "Honestly James, you spend two months avoiding him then try sneaking up on me without looking to see where he was?" Ignoring her friend's glare she offered a nod to the newcomer. "Feel free to safely ignore the troll in the room."

James huffed, picked himself up with as much dignity as he could manage and sat opposite Akuji. The other boy gave a polite dip of acknowledgment and sat opposite Albus, a respectful distance from James.

Silence sat thickly for several seconds.

"A beautiful creature, a Caracal if I'm not mistaken." The new comer complimented.

Akuji looked mildly surprised but nodded with seeming approval.

"Bloody tiger is what he is."

Akuji sent James a cold glare with a matching smirk. "He's a kitten you ignoramus buffoon and you knew that quite well."

"A kitten!" Albus exclaimed. "That thing is a foot long!"

"A foot-and-a-half, more or less. Not to worry, he hasn't eaten a first year since last January, so you're probably safe" Akuji gave another smirk, this time with a smidgen of warmth behind it. "Akuji," she said pleasantly, holding out her hand. "This is Albus Potter and the heathen next to you is his brother James."

"Crevan Daray," he held out his hand in a perfect mirror of Akuji's cultured formality. His tone staying neutral the entire time but still retaining that slight, soothing baritone that gave nothing away.  
Not hostile, but not quite sure if friendship was a potential. Either way would be dealt with in the same smooth, unflappable manner.

"American?" Akuji asked.

"Exchange student, this is my first year studying abroad." Crevan responded. "and you?"

"Lived all over, my first year was in Nepal then I transferred here last year."

Albus was surprised at the information; he'd noticed Akuji's accent but hadn't thought to ask. His observation was cut short as his personal space was casually intruded upon. The caracal had slid off Akuji's lap and now sat between them, staring at Albus intently. Up close he now saw that what he'd mistaken as horns were in fact the cat's ears, long and curved back at the ends with an extra length of stiff, upright hair which gave them that antler-like appearance. The fur was a rich gold except the muzzle, which was white with black markings on the nose, eyes, mouth and whiskers. The back of the ears were also black. The whole effect was very exotic and slightly intimidating.

"Than?" Akuji had stopped talking to watch her pet. Slowly, it moved one paw forward, then another, dense muscle bunching intimidatingly beneath its silken coat with every step. About half a foot from Albus, Than stopped, stretched out his neck, and sniffed at the boy. Akuji said nothing, just opting to watch the scene playing out before her. Albus stayed very still. He would not say he was unusually small, but standing on all fours on the seat Than was eye level with him and he'd really rather not have to make an emergency visit to the hospital wing his first night at Hogwarts.

Seeming to have found what he was looking for, Than sat on his haunches, stretched his neck a bit further…and licked Albus on the nose.

"Holy…" James didn't get to finish his phrase as Albus toppled backwards in shock. Than huffed in seeming annoyance and got up to plant his front paws on Albus's side where he proceeded to lick the boy's hair, cheek and just generally the left side of his head.

The feel of the warm raspy tongue tickled the sensitive skin under his chin and ears and Albus couldn't control the small giggles. Deciding the cat meant him no harm Albus reached up a hand to scratch one of the oversized ears. The effect was instantaneous, Than folded his legs and shoved his head further into Albus's palm, twisting his head to rub against the boy's neck while he was at it.

"Well, that's new." Albus sat back up to face Akuji who had and unreadable expression in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Than seemed to remember himself and sat back as well, but remained close enough for Albus to continue running a hand through the fur on his back. Akuji gave him a small, curious smile.

"That's the first I've seen Than take so rapidly to someone other myself and my godfather, though since I raised him I'm not too sure how much that counts." This time when Albus met her eyes he saw veiled approval there.

"Oh," Albus blushed and suddenly felt blush creeping across his cheeks at the praise. "So, uh, that's, um, a good thing then?"

The air seemed to freeze a beat; then Akuji gave a shrill squeak that made everyone jump. "O.M. F-ing G! You are just adorable! James, can I keep him!? Please, please, pwetty pwease?"

James did not reply. Albus dared peek at his brother and almost gave in to the grin threatening to split his face. James looked absolutely, fucking horrified at what he had just heard. Finally a 'you can't be serious' was squeaked out.

"What? You so obviously don't want him and he's friggen glomp material of the highest quality." Albus had no idea what glomp was and thus had no idea if he should be flattered at the obvious praise in her tone or offended at her accusations toward his brother.

James smiled weakly and made one last ditch effort to buy himself out of the situation. "He's a first year."

Akuji leaned forward to flash James a sugar poisoned smile, "I said, can I keep him, please."

Even the inexperienced Albus somehow knew by instinctive that refusing that tone would be a very bad, _bad_, idea. Akuji was not asking, no delusion there. James gulps, swallowed a few more times, then simply opted for nodding his head.

"Epic!" Akuji squealed again and actually started bouncing in her seat and grinning at Albus with ten new kinds of crazy. "This is going to be so much fun."

Once again fate seemed to take pity on the poor boy who was saved from having to answer yet again by Than who pulled away to take a exploratory sniff at the car's last occupant. Crevan held out an obliging hand to be sniff and waited patiently as the giant cat checked almost every inch of skin. Than finished sniffing, gave one experimental lick, then settled back to clean his nose before turning to his master. An exchange of some sort seemed to pass between them and an agreement met.

"Guess that means your kosher USA." Albus flicked an eyebrow in an almost identical manner to the ears of the cat that spared him a last look before lying down between its mistress and newest acquaintance.

Finally, for the first time since he'd arrived, Daray gave a small smiled and relaxed back in his seat. Yes this was shaping up to be an interesting year indeed.


	2. Arrival

**Chapter 2**

The train slowed to a stop just as Albus managed to get his tie fitted correctly. He had been struggling with it since they changed into their school robes; he even thought he saw a faint glimmer of amusement in Crevan's eyes while watching his misfortune. Albus tried not to sulk as the others stood and gathered their stuff.

"Than, come." Akuji said. The cat perked up and gracefully leapt, found a foothold on her sleeve and scampering about for a bit before laying itself across her shoulders behind her head. How the girl managed to support that weight while still moving as if nothing had changed was beyond Albus.

"I'd love to ride up to the school with you," Crevan explained as he moved for the door, "but I'm afraid there are several things that require my attention before I'm officially a student. So I will see you all at the opening feast." The others bid their farewells with him, and he left the compartment, his trunk floating in his wake. Akuji looked at the two brothers.

"James, help your bother with his trunk," she semi-ordered, before leaving, the same spell affecting her trunk as had Crevan's.

"Don't even think about it." James said, once Akuji was out of ear shot. "And don't think that just because Akuji likes you, you can boss me around." he added the punch in the arm as a topper, and left, floating his trunk ahead of him with a somewhat mean smirk.

Albus struggled for a moment, trying to heft his trunk up. He didn't know how they expected him to carry so much stuff. Bless Aunt Hermione and her good heart, but did it really make that much difference if they dragged their own trunks to the platform instead of leaving them on the train for the elves to collect? Finally, after a few minutes, he managed to hoist the end of the blasted thing up. Gasping from the physical exertion, he awkwardly waddled towards the compartment door and exited.

Just his luck upon making it into the hallway he bumped into something much bigger than him and fell back. Wincing, he pushed the trunk off of his leg then looked up to see what he had walked into. What he saw was enough to make him freeze up, as instinctive fear petrified his muscles. There was some kind of monster on the train, and it was staring straight at him.

It was tall, probably six feet high, and decrepit in very undead sort of way. What had gotten his attention, though, was its eyes; black, not just the irises, but its entire orb. A scar ran just off center of the bottom lip, and straight down his chin, disappearing into a faint goatee. He, it was definitely a him, wore black robes, which it took Albus a moment to realize were school robes. In the dark, Albus could faintly make out a badge pinned to the front of the monster's robes.

"Sorry, didn't see you." It spoke, its voice low, and eerie enough to send a chill up down Albus's spine. It reached out with a skeletal hand, no, not skeletal, just unnaturally pale and thin. It gripped Albus by the arm, and pulled him to his feet. "You'd better hurry, or you'll miss the rest of the first years." He said, pulling out his wand and waving it at Albus's trunk so it rose to float at his side. "I'll put this on the platform for you."

"Er, thanks..." Albus said, backing away, afraid to take his eyes off of this thing? Person? He wasn't quite sure. Bumping into the doorway of the train car, he finally managed to pry his eyes away from where they demanded her focus and left through it. Once off the train, he found himself in a crowd of students, all rushing to and fro, he looked around desperately for some of a familiar face. That's when he heard the voice bellowing.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" The booming voice called out, echoing through the night that had grown a sudden spark of life with the arrival of the train. Albus looked up and saw him almost instantly. Hagrid was like an uncle to him, and standing at over eleven feet tall, wasn't hard to pick out in a crowed. His steel, brown hair and beard probably didn't hurt. "'Ay there Albus, finally the time eh?" He said, as he walked past, Albus falling into line after him, with the rest of the first years.

After walking for awhile, they came to a staircase which led down to a dock. "Alright firs' years, find a boat." Hagrid bellowed, leading the way down the steps. The students all followed, and picked out their boats. Albus managed to get into one with his cousin Rose, whom he had seen at King's Cross. And two others he wasn't familiar with, probably friends she had met on the train.

"'Everybody in?" Hagrid asked, looking around. "Right then – FORWARD!"

Albus wasn't shocked as the boats lurched forward, propelled magically through the water as they began what he had been told was a traditional journey across the black lake, to the school. After the first years settled down some, Rose leaned forward towards him.

"Where were you?" She asked, "I waited for you on the train, I even saved you a spot."

"Sorry." Albus said, feeling guilty. He had completely forgotten her. "I ended up sitting with James."

"James your bother? He actually let you sit with him?" She asked, a disbelieving tone in her voice.

"Well, not exactly." Albus went on to explain the train ride over. He finished it by adding. "After they left, I got my trunk up, and I was leaving the compartment when I saw this monster thing on the train, I think he was like a vampire or something."

"Now you're just messing with me." Rose accused. "There's no way Hogwarts would ever let a vampire work at the school."

"I didn't say it was for sure a Vampire, it just looked, I don't know, spooky. Its eyes were completely black, it was really creepy."

"Well, you missed out; I was hanging with these two." She said, pointing to the other two in the boat. "This is Jesse and Jessica Finnigan, they're twins."

"Nice to meet you." Albus greeted them. "I'm Albus Potter."

"Yeah, Rose told us about you. I'm Jesse, obviously, and this is Jessica." Jesse said, nodding towards his sister, who instantly blushed. "So, you're like really the son of Harry Potter, the head of the Aurors and the guy that vanquished Lord Voldemort?"

"Oh..." Albus responded, throwing a glance at Rose. He really wished she wouldn't have thrown that part around. "Yeah, I guess."

"Wow, that's really cool. I heard that he has a lightning bolt across his back." Jesse said.

"It's his forehead, stupid." Jessica corrected her brother.

"I guess." Albus said. "We don't really talk about it."

"Our dad went to school with him." Jesse went on explaining. "Sheamus Finnigan. Does he ever talk about him?"

"A little, I guess." Albus replied.

The four first years continued talking as the boats sailed across the lake for the next five minutes, before finally, Hagrid's voice boomed once again.

"Heads down!" he announced, just as the boats reached the cliffs on top which Hogwarts stood. The first years all ducked slightly as the boats sailed cleanly through a thick curtain of Ivy, and they found themselves in a small room, in which the boats automatically docked.

"'Right then, follow me." Hagrid boomed once everyone was out of the boats, and started up the stairs to a door, where he banged his fist against it three times loudly.


	3. A Firey Sorting Ceremony

**Chapter 3**

"You're running late." The cold voice was their first greeting as the doors opened. A man stood in the entrance, and despite being nearly seven feet tall, he was still dwarfed by the much larger Hagrid.

"Er, sorry Alistair," Hagrid apologized. "It took some time to get them all gathered, lot of new students this year, what with the new Headmaster and such."

"Ah, yes. The new head master, don't get me started on him." Alistair replied, sighing. He then turned his attention to the first years. "I am Professor Trannyth, Welcome to Hogwarts. Now if you will please follow me, I'll be leading you to the Sorting ceremony." One by one, the first years fell in line as they followed the tall man up through the dark hallways of the Hogwarts castle.

"Did your brother tell you about him at _all_?" Rose asked Albus, as they walked a decent distance from the head of the line.

"No, but he seems like kind of a jerk." Albus answered, his voice low so that he wouldn't be overheard.

"Yeah, I suppose he does. If one of our teachers goes insane, and starts killing people, I'm putting my money on him." Rose giggled.

Before Albus could respond, they came to another doorway, and stopped. Professor Trannyth turned to address them.

"Now students, behind these doors is the Entrance Hall, beyond which lies what some of you already know as the Great Hall, where the sorting will be taking place. Once inside the Great Hall, stand in line at the front and I shall call out your names. When you are called, please step forward, and take a seat on the stool, and you will be sorted into one of the four Houses of Hogwarts," he explained. "These are named after the founders of our school, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

Albus tuned out as Professor Trannyth proceeded to explain the point system for the yearlong competition for the House Cup. He wondered if James and Akuji were already seated with other cousins from his family to place bets as a joke on which house he would enter like James had said he would. And how would Crevan's House be decided, he had never heard much about how the system adapted for exchange students and he was interested to see what would happen. His trip to la la land was interrupted by Rose poking him in the side and he was returned to the here-and-now to hear Trannyth giving one more formal welcome to the new students before turning towards the doors and stepping through them. They followed as he led them across the deserted Entrance Hall and through the grand doors of the Great Hall.

Albus looked at his feet, trying not to make eye contact with the hundreds of students that looked curiously upon the first years as they were marched down the center aisle to stand in front of a stool which in turn sat in front of a grand table, at which the staff all sat, save Trannyth, who turned to address the students.

"Let's jump straight into it then." He said, aiming his wand at the stool. In a flash of smoke, an old, beaten hat appeared sitting atop the stool.

"What a crummy old hat." Albus heard someone mutter behind him somewhere. Must have been a muggle born, as surely every wizard born would know of the Sorting Hat, created by the founders of Hogwarts.

"Very well," Trannyth said, picking the hat off the stool in his right hand, he pulled a parchment from his pocket with his left and let it unravel. "Nancy Anders." He read.

Slowly, a timid blonde girl stepped forward, eying the stool. "No reason to be shy." Trannyth urged surprisingly softly, a faint smile reassuring the girl. Maybe Albus had been wrong about him after all. The girl sat down, and the hat was placed on her head. A moment later...

"Hufflepuff!" The hat bellowed through the hall. The girl jumped off the stool, and hurried over to a table, where she was welcomed by her cheering housemates.

And so it went, one by one the first years were counted down and sorted. Albus waited anxiously. Despite what his father had said at the station, he couldn't help but yearn to not be put in Slytherin. He wanted, no, he needed to be placed in Gryffindor. Finally, his time came.

"Albus Potter!" Trannyth said, his eyes flicking straight to Albus as he stepped forward. Despite the time that had passed since his father's triumph over Voldemort, Albus could still sense eyes locked him from all around the hall, trying to get a look at the second son of The Boy Who Lived.

Upon taking a seat on the stool, he suddenly found himself in darkness, as the over sized hat was placed on his head. Immediately, he heard the hat whispering to him.

"Ah, yes. I would know you anywhere. Mm hmm, I see. I see. Just like your father eh?" The hat rambled, not stopping. "He loathed the idea of being in Slytherin as well. James also protested the possibility. Very well, kind of boring though..."

"Gryffindor!" The hat bellowed throughout the hall.

Thrilled, Albus handed the hat back to Professor Trannyth and ran to join the cheering Gryffindor table. As he walked down the table, a student he wasn't familiar with flew from the bench like the metaphorical bat out of hell and hurried fast as he could to the other end of the table. Looking away to the place he'd just vacated, he saw Akuji beaming at him.

"Saved you a spot." She almost squealed, practically dragging him onto the bench next to her.

Across from Akuji, to Albus's surprise, Crevan nodded in acknowledgment while next to him James sat with his face in his hands, trying desperately to hide from the shame of his brother at so close a vicinity. He did feel a little guilty about causing James duress, but didn't have time to think about it long, as soon Akuji was speaking again.

"I knew you'd be in Gryffindor." She said, patting him on the back. "Now I get to be your mentor in the art of shits and giggles in this gulag they call 'educational system'. Not to worry, no one's going to mess with you, not on my watch. If they do, I'll have an excuse to fillet them alive."

"Yeah?" Albus said, not sure how to respond properly to such a welcome. "What can you do against vampires? I saw one on the train."

"Vampires?!" James sounded a mix of astonished and bemused, looking up. "There're no vampires at Hogwarts stupid!"

"Shush you!" Akuji snapped, glaring at James. She then turned back to Albus. "But he's right; there are no vampires at Hogwarts."

"But I saw one. He was on the train. He had black eyes and hair, and he was pale and tall and..."

"Look liked that guy?" Akuji smiled, pointing across the hall towards the Slytherin table.

"Yeah! That's him!" Albus exclaimed, surprised. This time Akuji snickered along with James while Crevan raised one immaculate eyebrow in curiosity of the sight.

"Sorry to disappoint kiddo," Akuji fondly patted him on the head. "That's Cyrus Starch, Prefect to House Scaly and resident metamorphmagus. He does the whole Dracula shebang to intimidate people but he's harmless."

"Great," Albus sighed, "one godbrother showing up in drag with the physical accessories to boot wasn't bad enough."

James winced at the memory even though he laughed while Akuji snickered. "So I've heard. I also heard about the time you drank undiluted Sonorous Skittles formula at age five and sang everything in opera for three hours straight."

Albus glared at his brother who shrugged unapologetically. Clearly he had a lot of catching up to do if he wanted to be seen as an equal individual here away from their shadows. He was still glad of the providence that put him in this position and intended to enjoy it while learning the ropes in the autonomous world of boarding school.

Suddenly, Albus found his attention drawn away from the conversation as he heard "Rose Weasly!" called out. He watched anxiously, as his cousin and friend took her spot on the stool and the Sorting Hat placed on her head. He wasn't sure if the hall actually went quiet, or if it was only his imagination, but moments later the hat had decided.

"Ravenclaw!" It announced to the Great Hall.

The Ravenclaw table cheered on, but Albus couldn't help but feel his heart sink. Whenever he and Rose had discussed their futures at Hogwarts, they had always assumed they'd both be in Gryffindor. Rose made eye contact with him across the Hall, and frowned, but shrugged and ran off to join her table. Albus watched as she sat down, a smile on her face as she began talking with her new Housemates. When Professor Trannyth spoke again, his attention was drawn back to the man.

"That's odd." He said, eying the last child waiting to sorted. "That's the end of the list, what is your name?"

The child stood silently for a moment, eyeing Trannyth, or were they looking beyond him. Suddenly, in a flash, it drew its wand. The reaction was almost immediate, as Trannyth stepped back. Behind him, the entire faculty stood from their chairs. Before anyone had a chance to truly react, the child spoke.

"Hēi'àn de zhǔrén shàngshēng," The child announced before aiming it's wand at its feet. "Měi gèrén dōu bìxū zhīfù de jiàgé, bìxū guì zài qiánmiàn!"

Suddenly, black fire erupted from the wand, and struck the ground beneath it. In seconds, the child was completely engulfed in the dark flames.

Trannyth immediately drew his want and aimed at the child. Without a word, water shot out of his wand and hit the flames, but it didn't have any effect. The entire Great Hall was in uproar by now, as the students had all noticed what was going on and most were screaming. Within thirty seconds of the event, the flames were gone, and all that remained was a pile of ash in the spot where the child had once stood.

"Silence!" A voice boomed throughout the hall. All the students turned to look as the school's new headmaster stood behind the staff table. "Prefects, if you will please escort your houses to your dormitory, the school is now on lock down."

Immediately, all the students seemed to rise as one. Albus stared horrified at the ash pile, before getting up as well. As he started to make his way to the grand doors, he stopped when he noticed Akuji hadn't moved.

"Akuji, we have to go." James urged from the other side of the table, the crowd pushing him along towards the doors.

"Akuji..." Albus started, then stopping himself. She had a look on her face. He couldn't call it fear. He couldn't call anything.

Was it anger? Concern? She was a blank slate.

He felt like he shouldn't ask. So he just continued along. The flow of the crowd eventually blocking her from sight.


End file.
